Removing heat from perishable foods and goods prior to storing or shipping them is a well-known technique with proven efficacy. Perishable goods are now stored or shipped routinely in all parts of the world. These measures can be enhanced by modifying and monitoring not only temperature, but also vacuum, humidity and gas mix levels in the surrounding food storage environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,919, issued to McKinney, et al., for FOOD CONSERVATOR SYSTEM on Sep. 7, 1999, discloses a single vacuum compartment appropriate for storing baked goods, in which a negative pressure of 10″ Hg is maintained and wherein a humidity level of “at least about” 60% relative humidity is maintained. The environment of the compartment is feedback-controlled by a microprocessor. The microprocessor can control vacuum, relative humidity, temperature, the amount of ozone introduced into the compartment to retard bacterial growth, as well as, out-gassing time cycles. A menu allows a user to input data used to control the microprocessor, and permit optimization of the compartment environment for the particular foodstuffs presently being stored.
McKINNEY, et al., can include an ozone ultraviolet generator, a humidifier unit, and/or an activated charcoal chamber. Generating ozone and ultraviolet radiation helps retard or kill mold spores and other undesired components that may be present. The inclusion of an activated charcoal chamber helps further combat odors and removes carbon dioxide by-products.
The enclosure or compartment of McKINNEY, et al., however, has no mechanism for separating foodstuff or for accessing certain perishable items without accessing all of them. This is a serious drawback, as the vacuum is released when the front door is opened. Moreover, the temperature of all remaining perishable items is affected by the door opening in order to access other items or insert them into the container. Likewise, humidity is affected by such actions.
It would be advantageous to provide a perishable food and goods storage system capable of maintaining multiple compartments at predetermined vacuum, temperature, humidity and gas mix levels.
It would also be advantageous to provide a storage system that could accommodate a plurality of perishable foodstuff.
It would further be advantageous to provide a storage system that has a number of individually movable, modular drawers, each drawer being capable of holding different items.
It would still further be advantageous to provide a storage system with individual, movable, modular drawers with a single environmental control unit for the entire system.
It would still be further advantageous to provide a storage and dispensing system that uses one-way valve (or similar functioning mechanism) containers and/or bags to store, preserve and dispense items.
It would still be further advantageous to provide a system that automatically creates, maintains and releases various environments in respective storage units by modifying parameters such as: temperature, humidity, vacuum and gas mix levels and combinations thereof.
It would also be advantageous to program the apparatus to automatically turn off a particular operating system during peak usage to conserve electricity or for operation during specific time periods and intervals.